Simonetta Vespucci, as painted by Sandro Botticelli, around 1480.
During a visit to my eye doctor, I noticed that his screen saver was Botticelli’s Primavera. I sighed, “ahhhhh… Simonetta!”
He looked puzzled, and said, “no… that’s Flora.”
“Of course she is, but Botticelli’s model for the goddess of May’s flowers was Simonetta Vespucci.”
He went on to tell …